It’s almost Christmas and in South Africa that means summer holidays with beach days and picnics. My favourite part of our family picnics growing up were always these gorgeously tender and juicy roasted lamb sandwiches!
It is fresh, bright but packed with flavour from the lamb, onions and garlic mayo.
Let’s get cooking…
Start by cooking the lamb, any tender cut will do. I have used lamb leg steaks as it is quite tender but if you do use a tougher cut then adjust the cooking time.
Season the lamb with all the spices and marinate for 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a frying pan and add in the lamb with ¼ cup of water, reduce the heat to low and simmer covered. This will allow the chops to steam so that the meat becomes meltingly tender without becoming dry. Steam the lamb for 30-45 minutes, depending on how thick your chops are.
Once the lamb begin to get tender, scatter the onion rings over the top and cover. Cook for a further 20 minutes, tossing the onions and the chops together so that the flavours mix together.
Once tender when pricked with a knife and the onions are golden, turn off the heat and allow to cool before slicing into thin strips.
For the assembly, mix the mayonnaise and crushed garlic until smooth. Spread 2 slices of soft, fresh bread or rolls (halved), with the mayonnaise. then lay down the slices of lamb, top with onions, lettuce and thin slices of tomato.
Swaps…
You can make this vegetarian by using thinly fried tofu, soya or even haloumi.
If you don’t like lamb, thinly sliced roast beef or chicken would work also.
Ingredients
- Lamb
500g lamb leg steaks (about 4)
1 tsp curry powder
½ tsp garam masala
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp ginger and garlic paste
¼ tsp turmeric
1 tblsp olive oil
1 large onion cut into rings
- Sandwich
4 slices of good quality soft bread or 2 soft rolls
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
4 tblsp mayonnaise
2 leaves of lettuce
1 tomato, cut into paper thin slices
Directions
- Start by cooking the lamb, any tender cut will do. I have used lamb leg steaks as it is quite tender but if you do use a tougher cut then adjust the cooking time.
- Season the lamb with all the spices and marinate for 30 minutes.
- Heat oil in a frying pan and add in the lamb with ¼ cup of water, reduce the heat to low and simmer covered. This will allow the chops to steam so that the meat becomes meltingly tender without becoming dry. Steam the lamb for 30-45 minutes, depending on how thick your chops are.
- Once the lamb begin to get tender, scatter the onion rings over the top and cover. Cook for a further 20 minutes, tossing the onions and the chops together so that the flavours mix together.
- Once tender when pricked with a knife and the onions are golden, turn off the heat and allow to cool before slicing into thin strips.
- For the assembly, mix the mayonnaise and crushed garlic until smooth. Spread 2 slices of soft, fresh bread or rolls (halved), with the mayonnaise. then lay down the slices of lamb, top with onions, lettuce and thin slices of tomato.
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